Harry C. Lewis, Julia E. Stawarz, Lorenzo Matteini, Luca Franci, Kristopher G. Klein, Robert T. Wicks, Chadi S. Salem, Timothy S. Horbury, Joseph H. Wang
{"title":"Turbulent Energy Conversion Associated With Kinetic Microinstabilities in Earth's Magnetosheath","authors":"Harry C. Lewis, Julia E. Stawarz, Lorenzo Matteini, Luca Franci, Kristopher G. Klein, Robert T. Wicks, Chadi S. Salem, Timothy S. Horbury, Joseph H. Wang","doi":"10.1029/2024GL112038","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>Plasma in Earth's magnetosheath rarely experiences interparticle collisions, so kinetic microinstabilities are thought to contribute to regulating the plasma thermodynamics. Instabilities excite waves and redistribute free energy in velocity space, reducing free energy in the velocity distribution function (VDF). Using 24 hr of data spread over 163 intervals of in situ magnetosheath observations by Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS), we investigate signatures of energy conversion where the turbulent dynamics have locally distorted the VDFs into non-Maxwellian shapes, in the context of electron and ion temperature anisotropy driven instabilities. We find enhanced average energy conversion into the particles along instability boundaries, suggesting turbulence plays a role in redistributing free energy. In so doing, we quantify the energetics associated with unstable conditions for both species. This work provides insight into the open question of how specific plasma processes couple into the turbulent dynamics, ultimately leading to energy dissipation and particle energization in collisionless plasmas.</p>","PeriodicalId":12523,"journal":{"name":"Geophysical Research Letters","volume":"51 24","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1029/2024GL112038","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Geophysical Research Letters","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024GL112038","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GEOSCIENCES, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Plasma in Earth's magnetosheath rarely experiences interparticle collisions, so kinetic microinstabilities are thought to contribute to regulating the plasma thermodynamics. Instabilities excite waves and redistribute free energy in velocity space, reducing free energy in the velocity distribution function (VDF). Using 24 hr of data spread over 163 intervals of in situ magnetosheath observations by Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS), we investigate signatures of energy conversion where the turbulent dynamics have locally distorted the VDFs into non-Maxwellian shapes, in the context of electron and ion temperature anisotropy driven instabilities. We find enhanced average energy conversion into the particles along instability boundaries, suggesting turbulence plays a role in redistributing free energy. In so doing, we quantify the energetics associated with unstable conditions for both species. This work provides insight into the open question of how specific plasma processes couple into the turbulent dynamics, ultimately leading to energy dissipation and particle energization in collisionless plasmas.
期刊介绍:
Geophysical Research Letters (GRL) publishes high-impact, innovative, and timely research on major scientific advances in all the major geoscience disciplines. Papers are communications-length articles and should have broad and immediate implications in their discipline or across the geosciences. GRLmaintains the fastest turn-around of all high-impact publications in the geosciences and works closely with authors to ensure broad visibility of top papers.